A new home for CLAAS Harvest Centre Bay of Plenty

CLAAS Harvest Centre, Bay of Plenty, will move to a new multi-million purpose-built complex being constructed opposite Rotorua airport.

Landpower CEO, Richard Wilson, says the complex will underpin increasing demand for high performance farm machinery and after-sales service and support for CLAAS, JCB and AMAZONE farm machinery. “Bay of Plenty is one of our larger dealerships in the North Island and has developed a well-earned reputation for the quality of its brands, people and service,” Richard says.

“This new facility will support continued growth in sales right across our range of tractors, forage harvesting, cultivation, seeding, spraying, spreading and handling equipment. Our goal is to gear up farmers and contractors for success by providing access to some of the world’s leading farm machinery brands and providing an unmatched level of after-sales service. A large part of that promise relies on recruiting, developing and retaining quality staff. Having a purpose-built, well-equipped workplace and being able to provide ongoing training throughout our network will enable us to meet that challenge.”

Designed by Jackson Architects, New Plymouth, and built and owned by R&B Property Development & Construction, Rotorua, the 7700 square metre complex will be completed by June next year.

The 1500 square metre main building will house a 1100 square metre workshop and parts facility and 400 square metre showroom and administration area. Outside facilities include a 500 square metre pavilion for machine storage, a 120 square metre covered wash bay and more than 5000 square metres of hard stand for equipment display and parking.

The new dealership will be located at 58 Wahanga-a-Rangi Crescent, Owhata, within the Eastgate Industrial Park. The site is readily accessible to State Highway 30, allowing service teams to quickly respond to customer needs or for customers to call in for parts or advice.

CLAAS Harvest Centre, Bay of Plenty was established as a Landpower franchise in 1996 by well-known local figure, Vern Bates. In 2009, it was re-badged as a CLAAS Harvest Centre, a dedicated ‘super dealership’ representing CLAAS, AMAZONE, JCB and other leading farm machinery brands.

The dealership was acquired by Landpower, the franchisor of the CLAAS Harvest Centre network, in 2015. It now employs about 17 staff, including 11 in the service team, two parts specialists, two sales representatives and two administration roles. During harvest season, the service team is bolstered by service technicians from CLAAS dealerships in the UK and Europe.

Key staff include Branch Manager, Bruce Rankin; Sales Manager, Vaughn Carson; Service Manager, Mat Bryant; Parts Manager, Kevin Folley; and Administration Manager, Jo Branson.